Method of reproducing an interactive disk through a network

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to an interactive disk reproducing method using a network. The present method downloads various content-related information associated with A/V data pre-recorded on a placed interactive disk from a remote content-providing server connected through a network, and makes presentation of video or audio reproduced from the interactive disk along with contents received from the server while synchronizing presentation time of the A/V data and the contents with reference to the downloaded content-related information.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method of reproducing an interactivedisk, more particularly, to a method of reproducing an A/V data writtenon an interactive disk such as an I-DVD (Interactive Digital VersatileDisk) while making synchronous presentation of the A/V data of aninteractive disk along with additional contents provided through anetwork from a server located on the network.

2. Description of the Related Art

In these days, a high-density optical disk, e.g., a DVD is being widelyused because it has very large storage capacity for digital data. Thestorage capacity of a DVD is large enough to record high-quality motionpicture data of relatively long time as well as high-quality audio data.

A DVD has two recording areas, one for actual data, namely, digital datastream of motion picture data and the other for navigation data used forreproduction control of the recorded actual data.

When a DVD is placed into a DVD player, its navigation data is read intoa memory first, and then motion picture data is reproduced withreference to the read navigation data. As a result, a user can view along-time cinema recorded in high quality on a DVD with a DVD player.

Lately, an interactive DVD (called ‘I-DVD’) has been proposed. An I-DVDincludes additional reproduction control information of recorded A/Vdata in form of, e.g., ‘html’ (Hyper-Text Markup Language) file. Thereproduction control information enables an interactive reproduction ofA/V data. More concrete standard for an I-DVD is being under discussionamong related companies. If an I-DVD is commercialized in the nearfuture, a supply of multi-media contents through a digital recordingmedium will be popularized much more.

However, according to the provisional standard of an I-DVD underdiscussion, because information related with reproduction of A/V datarecorded on an I-DVD is provided as written thereon, newer variousadditional contents or newer presentation form that is related with therecorded A/V data can not be viewed or used. In order to popularize anI-DVD, it is necessary to prepare a method being able to provide newercontents or information associated with recorded A/V data than thosepre-written on an I-DVD along with A/V contents.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method thatreceives various content-related information associated with A/V datapre-written on a disk recording medium such as an I-DVD from a remoteserver through a network, and presents the A/V data written on themedium synchronously along with additional contents using the receivedcontent-related information.

A method of reproducing an interactive disk using a network inaccordance with the present invention checks whether a disk placed in adisk device is an interactive disk, receives, from a server through anetwork, at least one file related with contents of the latest versioncompatible with a version of the placed interactive disk, if theinserted disk is interactive, and makes presentation of video or audioread from the interactive disk along with contents received from theserver while synchronizing presentation time each other with referenceto information of the received file.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the invention, illustrate the preferred embodiments ofthe invention, and together with the description, serve to explain theprinciples of the present invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a disk device in which a method ofreproducing an interactive disk through a network is embedded;

FIG. 2 shows an illustrative directory scheme of an interactive DVDstructured in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of an interactive diskreproducing method using a network of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 shows a view mode setting scheme and respective view modeexamples.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In order that the invention may be fully understood, a preferredembodiment thereof will now be described with reference to theaccompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a disk device in which a method ofreproducing an interactive disk through a network is embedded. The diskdevice of FIG. 1 comprises a decoder 16 decoding digital data read froma disk 10, e.g., an I-DVD to A/V data; a presentation engine 17processing the decoded A/V data to output a video and/or an audiosignal; a file system 11 conducting file management including searchingand reading recorded files, e.g., a disk information file, a setup file,and a sync data file, etc. on the I-DVD 10; a web browser 12, with a websurfing function, being able to set up presentation environment forreproduction of an I-DVD; an interface 13 for connection to Internet; anavigator 14, a controller in a broad sense, to conduct an overall andappropriate control for all elements in response to a user's request;and a storage unit 15, e.g., a flash memory for storing a variety offiles and all or a part of contents downloaded through Internet or readfrom the I-DVD 10.

The navigator 14, the file system 11, and the web browser 12 are alllogical units, namely programs to conduct individual correspondingfunction and operation, and they can be all implemented in a singleintegrated chip.

FIG. 2 shows an illustrative directory scheme of the I-DVD 10 structuredin accordance with the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 2,three files are under a root directory, the first file ‘EnDVD.Inf’having requisite information for reproduction of A/V data written on anI-DVD, the second ‘Index.html’ for an initial setup for reproduction,and the third ‘Index.syn’ having time information for synchronizingbetween different-attribute data. Under the root directory, threesubdirectories exist too, the first directory ‘Video_TS’ including filesof video data, the second ‘Audio_TS’ including files of audio data, andthe third ‘ENV_TS’ including additional content files e.g., ‘html’files, image files, and sound files to enable additional video/audiofunctions.

The file ‘EnDVD.Inf’ under the root directory has information about adisk version, a content version, a content manufacturer, and an address,e.g., URL (Universal Resource Locator) of a content providing server(abbreviated ‘CP server’ hereinafter) that provides a variety ofcontents and content-related information associated with A/V data on anI-DVD.

The setup file ‘Index.html’ under the root directory has environmentsetup information for the web browser 12 and reproduction of the I-DVD10, and the file ‘Index.syn’ includes time stamp data to synchronizevideo/audio data, which are read from the I-DVD 10, and contents, e.g.,html pages each other.

The directory ‘ENV_TS’ includes the contents to be presented oroutputted in synchronization with A/V data written on the I-DVD. Thecontents are composed of html-formatted files, image files, sound files,and so on as aforementioned.

When the I-DVD 10 is placed into the disk device of FIG. 1, the file‘EnDVD.Inf’ under the root directory is read first and the type of aninserted disk is determined to ‘interactive’ based on presence of thefile ‘EnDVD.Inf’. Next, a disk version is checked and the file‘Index.html’ is loaded to setup environment of system and the browserfor reproduction of the I-DVD. If necessary, the URL information is readfrom the file ‘EnDVD.Inf’.

Afterwards, a connection is made through Internet to a CP serveraddressed by the read URL information, and the disk device receives asetup file and a sync file of the latest version compatible with theI-DVD of the checked present version through negotiation with the CPserver and it does system settings again according to informationincluded in the received files.

After settings are done, the disk device reproduces A/V data written onthe I-DVD and presents A/V data and corresponding part of contents ofthe latest version provided in real time from the CP server whilesynchronizing the contents with the A/V data with reference to timeinformation contained in the received sync file. These operations areexplained below in more detail.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of an interactive diskreproducing method using a network of the present invention. Theprocedure depicted in FIG. 3 is conducted by the disk device of FIG. 1as follows.

If a placed disk is a conventional DVD, the navigator 14 conducts anordinary DVD reproducing operation in response to a user's request(S12). If an I-DVD, the navigator 14 controls the file system 11 to loadthe files ‘Index.html’ and ‘Index.syn’ under the root directory into thestorage unit 15 (S13).

The navigator 14 interprets the file ‘Index.html’ in the storage unit 15with assistance of the web browser 12, and sets up, as interpreted, asystem environment and parameters of the web browser 12 (S14) that hasan Internet surfing function and specifies presentation form of A/Vdata. At this time, user's inputs are received if needed.

After completion of setting, the navigator 14 checks whether there is anInternet-connection request from a user (S15). If there is no request, aROM-based reproduction is conducted under condition of the presentsettings (S16). In the ROM-based reproduction, the contents includedunder the directory ‘ENV_TS’ of the I-DVD 10 are synchronously presentedwith the A/V data of the I-DVD 10 with reference to time informationwritten in the sync file ‘Index.syn’.

If a connection to Internet is requested from a user (S15), which meansthat download of contents of newer version than those on the I-DVD 10 isasked, the navigator 14 reads an URL written in the file ‘EnDVD.Inf’under the root directory, and controls the web browser 12 and theinterface 13 to make a connection to the CP server addressed by the readURL.

If a connection is made, a disk version written in the file ‘EnDVD.Inf’is transmitted to the CP server along with a download request for asetup and a sync file related with the latest contents compatible withthe disk version (S17). The CP server searches its db for the files‘Index.html’ and ‘Index.syn’ of the latest contents that are linkedaltogether with the received disk version. If found, the CP servertransmits the files to the disk device through Internet.

The navigator 14 of the disk device receiving the files interprets the‘Index.html’ of the latest version with help of the web browser 12 andresets the system environment for A/V data reproduction as interpreted(S18). The received sync file ‘Index.syn’ is stored in the storage unit16 for later use.

If necessary, the navigator 14 checks whether versions of the receivedfiles from the CP server are later than those of the files pre-recordedunder the root directory, and only if later, it conducts theaforementioned operations, namely, resetting and storing.

As another way, the navigator 14 sends a content version written in thefile ‘EnDVD.Inf’ along with the disk version to the CP server, then theCP server downloads the concerned files only if there are a setup and async file related with contents of later version than the receivedcontent version.

Afterwards, the navigator 14, in response to a user's input, starts anI-DVD reproduction to read the A/V data written on the I-DVD 10 and todecode out the A/V data to corresponding video/audio signal (S19).During this reproduction, the navigator 14 requests in advance to the CPserver a download of partial content to be presented synchronously withcurrent A/V data with reference to time information contained in thereceived file ‘Index.syn’ from the CP server. If the requested partialcontent is successfully received, it is presented at the time along withA/V data when A/V data associated with the partial content is presented(S20).

In consideration of transmission delay via Internet, the downloadrequest for necessary content is sent to the CP server enough prior toits presentation time. Instead of receiving partial content in real timewhenever it is needed, all contents associated with the A/V data can bereceived and stored before reproduction start of the I-DVD.

In the above embodiment, the content-related files are received when anInternet connection is requested from a user. However, thecontent-related file receiving operation can be conducted automaticallywithout a user's request. In other words, a connection to the CP serveris requested referring to URL in the file ‘EnDVD.Inf’ after completionof the setting step S14, and the download of the content-related filesof the latest version and A/V data reproduction based on them (S17˜S20)is conducted if a connection is made within a given interval and thestep S16 is conducted if not.

A form of a display window the A/V data is presented in may be specifiedby the file ‘Index.html’. However, it can be set or modified variouslyaccording to user's optional selection.

FIG. 4 shows a view mode setting scheme and respective view modeexamples. If a user sets a view mode to ‘player view mode’ the displaywindow is adjusted to an ordinary screen 401 of a general DVD player,and if sets to ‘content view mode’ the display window is changed to amenu screen 402 which a user can request an Internet connection through.

If a user sets to ‘full screen mode’ through configuration of the‘content view mode’, the display window is expanded to the full size ofa screen 403 to display motion picture reproduced from the I-DVD, and ifsets to ‘enhanced mode’, the display window is partitioned into twozones (404), one zone for displaying motion picture and the other fordisplaying content information.

The above-explained interactive disk reproducing method using a networkenables a user to view the latest contents associated with A/V ROM datarecorded on an interactive disk all the times, whereby a user can enjoythe motion picture recorded on the interactive disk much more.

The detailed description of the invention has been directed to certainexemplary embodiments, various modifications of these embodiments, aswell as alternative embodiments, will be suggested to those skilled inthe art. The invention encompasses any modifications or alternativeembodiments that fall within the scope of the claims.

1. A method of reproducing an interactive disk using a network,comprising the steps of: (a) checking whether a disk inserted in a diskdevice is an interactive disk, the disk having a file with contentspre-recorded therein; (b) setting a system to be suitable for areproduction of the contents, based on a result of the checking step;(c) in response to a user's request, transmitting, to an externalsource, disk version information and content version information, and ademand for a file having a latest version compatible with the insertedinteractive disk and including contents having a version later than aversion of the contents of the pre-recorded file; (d) receiving, fromthe external source through the network, a subset of the contents of thefile having the latest version compatible with the inserted interactivedisk, and verifying that a version of the contents of the file havingthe latest version compatible with the inserted interactive disk islater than the version of the contents of the pre-recorded file; (e)updating the contents that are pre-recorded on the interactive diskbased on the received subset if the version of the contents of the filehaving the latest version compatible with the inserted interactive diskis verified to be later than the version of the contents of thepre-recorded file; (f) resetting the system to be suitable for areproduction of the updated contents; and (g) presenting the updatedcontents by presenting the subset synchronously with video or audio dataread from the interactive disk prior to or while receiving a secondsubset.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receivingcomprises: receiving a first file having system setting information foran interactive disk reproduction and a second file having timeinformation for synchronizing video, audio, and the contents that arepre-recorded on the interactive disk.
 3. The method of claim 2, whereinthe step of resetting comprises: resetting the system with reference toinformation included in the first file, including setting of a displayform for presentation of video/audio/contents.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein the step of checking comprises: determining the inserted disk tobe the interactive type if the disk includes a file having informationincluding a disk version, a content version, and an address pointing toa content-providing server.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step(g) includes presenting both or either of video/audio and the updatedcontents in response to a user's selection.
 6. The method of claim 1,wherein the updated contents are composed of an html-formatted file, asound file, or an image file.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the stepof setting comprises setting a corresponding system environment andsetting parameters of a web browser, and wherein the step of resettingcomprises resetting the corresponding system environment and resettingthe parameters of the web browser.
 8. An apparatus for reproducing aninteractive disk using a network, comprising: a controller configured tocheck whether a disk inserted in a disk device is an interactive diskand generate a corresponding checking result, to set a system to besuitable for a reproduction of contents, based on the checking result,in response to a user's request, transmit, to an external source, diskversion information and content version information, and a demand for afile having a latest version compatible with the inserted interactivedisk and including contents having a version later than a version of thecontents of the pre-recorded file, to receive, from the external sourcethrough the network, a subset of the contents of the file having thelatest version compatible with the inserted interactive disk, to verifythat a version of the contents of the file having the latest versioncompatible with the inserted interactive disk is later than the versionof the contents of the pre-recorded file, to update contents that arepre-recorded on the interactive disk based on the received subset if theversion of the contents of the file having the latest version compatiblewith the inserted interactive disk is verified to be later than theversion of the contents of the pre-recorded file, and to reset thesystem to be suitable for a reproduction of the updated contents; and apresentation engine configured to present the updated contents bypresenting the subset synchronously with video or audio data read fromthe interactive disk prior to or while receiving a second subset.
 9. Theapparatus of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to receive afirst file having system setting information for an interactive diskreproduction and a second file having time information for synchronizingvideo, audio, and the contents that are pre-recorded on the interactivedisk.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller is configuredto reset the system to be suitable for a reproduction of the updatedcontents with reference to information included in the first file, thesetting operation including setting of a display form for presentationof video/audio/contents.
 11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein thecontroller is configured to determine the inserted disk to be theinteractive type if the disk includes a file having informationincluding a disk version, a content version, and an address pointing toa content-providing server.
 12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein thepresentation engine is configured to present both or either ofvideo/audio and the updated contents in response to a user's selection.13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the updated contents are composedof an html-formatted file, a sound file, or an image file.
 14. Theapparatus of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to set thesystem to be suitable for the reproduction of contents by setting acorresponding system environment and setting parameters of a webbrowser, and reset the system to be suitable for the reproduction of theupdated contents by resetting the corresponding system environment andresetting the parameters of the web browser.